Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has launched a fierce counter-attack against former impeached Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, dismissing personal jibes about his voice as the only contribution of a man he described as empty, incompetent and politically washed-up.
In a statement released on Sunday, Kindiki accused Gachagua of a long record of failure, greed and betrayal that began long before his turbulent two years as Deputy President.
“Talking about my voice is the only contribution your emptiness and incompetence can make in matters politics, policy and leadership,” Kindiki declared. He went on to catalogue what he called Gachagua’s “disgraceful exit from public service as a District Officer(DO), a most unremarkable WANTAM as Mathira MP, and your wasted two years as Deputy President.”
Kindiki claimed Gachagua only joined the Kenya Kwanza team after being charged with theft of public funds and then forced his way into the running-mate slot by organising demonstrations in Mathira to pressure party leaders. “Your greed led you to fall out with everyone in the party including nearly all leaders from the Mount Kenya Region where you and I come from,” the Deputy President said.
Mr Rigathi,
Talking about my voice is the only contribution your emptiness and incompetence can make in matters politics, policy and leadership.
A disgraceful exit from public service as a DO, a most unremarkable WANTAM as Mathira MP, and your wasted two years as Deputy…
— Kithure Kindiki (@_KithureKindiki) August 16, 2026
The Interior Minister during Gachagua’s tenure as DP, Kindiki insisted he had deliberately stayed out of politics and focused on national security. “I was focused on protecting Kenya from bandits, terrorists and criminals as you were building hotels, acquiring land and inciting people against the same Government that you were serving as Deputy President,” he stated. He flatly denied claims that he had overruled Gachagua on alcohol-control measures, calling the accusation a lie.
Kindiki revealed that he had privately urged Gachagua to repair relations with then-President William Ruto and other leaders, only to be ignored and dismissed. “I let you be, but I refused to join you in sabotaging a Government we had formed,” he said. “I told you if you chose to leave, the rest of us would be left to push for the public interest which had motivated us to form Government — our roads, markets, electricity, coffee and milk prices.”
Refusing to descend into personal insults, Kindiki said he would not discuss Gachagua’s “not so great anatomy” in response. He also vowed to prevent the former DP from misleading the people of Mount Kenya with “useless slogans and chants.”
The statement closed with a note of quiet defiance: “You can mock my voice all you want… I like the way you under-estimate me.”
The exchange marks a sharp escalation in the bitter fallout between the two Mount Kenya politicians since Gachagua’s impeachment and removal from office. Kindiki’s message leaves little doubt that the gloves are off as both men position themselves in the evolving power dynamics of the region and the ruling coalition.
